'Purple lady' delivers mail with personal touch NORTH LAUREL/SAVAGE

Loaded with lollipops, dog biscuits and the mail, Jan Arnold sets out each day from the Savage Post Office in her purple jeep.

Wearing purple and driving purple, Mrs. Arnold, affectionately known around town as the purple lady, has delivered the mail in Savage, for 17 years.

But it's more than her purple mail truck that has made her a cherished local celebrity.

It's the personal touch Mrs. Arnold brings to her work. She knows almost every customer on her route by name, carries treats for kids and the mail carrier's worst enemy, and pays the postage due on mail for her customers to save them a trip to the post office.

"When it comes to delivering the mail she really cares about her people," said Savage postmaster, John H. S. Hyater.

It's mail service with more than a smile, but to Mrs. Arnold, her customers are worth the extra effort.

"Most of the people are very, very nice," said Mrs. Arnold, 56. "I like welcoming them to Savage and trying to deliver their mail as best I can."

From all indications, Mrs. Arnold has an entire town of satisfied customers. Even people on her route who have moved away tell her how much they miss the personalized service.

Former customer Marian Vessels, who uses a wheelchair, said that the Savage post office wasn't wheelchair accessible when she lived there eight years ago.

Mrs. Arnold made sure that Mrs. Vessels, who lives in Ellicott City now, got her packages left for pick-up at the post office and kept her supplied with stamps.

"She was always so thoughtful and very considerate about my special needs and not being able to use the post office," Mrs. Vessels said.

"She does more than her job," said county councilwoman and former Savage resident Shane Pendergrass. "She sort of takes care of people." Mrs. Pendergrass, who lives in Columbia, speaks from experience.

"If it hadn't been for Jan Arnold we would have lost our house," the councilwoman said.

By way of explanation, the Pendergrass family was living in England from 1981 to 1984 and renting their home in Savage.

And they assumed that the post office would forward their mail, including the property tax bills, during their three-year stay.

But mail was only forwarded for the first year. One day, much to their surprise, they received the final notice that their house in Savage was being put up for auction for non-payment of taxes.

"Jan looked at the envelope and thought it looked important," Mrs. Pendergrass said, explaining how Mrs. Arnold intercepted the notice. "She put her own stamp on it, addressed it and sent it to us," Mrs. Pendergrass said.

"I just love her," said customer Gerry Watts, 69. "She really goes all out and is always doing me favors."

If Mrs. Watts needs cash and can't get out to cash a check, she'll leave a note for her mail lady: "Jan, I need $150."

Mrs. Arnold will either give her customer $150 of her own money and get a check from Mrs. Watts, or take a check to the bank for her.

"There's not too many people like that," Mrs. Watts said. "I don't even hold it against her that she loves purple, because I do too," she added.

"It's the only color I buy," said Mrs. Arnold, who's been wearing purple, from her glasses to her shoes, for 20 years. "It makes it very easy to shop; it all matches up someday."